Abstract
The inheritance of prolificacy and the relationship of multiple ear development to time intervals between developmental stages of reproductive structures were studied in maize ( Zea mays L.) in three different experiments using both quantitative and qualitative methods of genetic analysis. A six‐line diallel involving unrelated parents, F 1 's, and F 2 's were grown at population densities of 17,200 and 34,400 plants/ha over 2 years. General (GCA) and specific (SCA) combining ability effects were significant for both ear number and multiple‐ear‐weight index (MEWI). This index is defined as the total grain weight minus first ear grain weight divided by total grain weight. The ratio of GCA to SCA fixed‐effects variance ranged from 3.7:1 to 7.4:1 for ear number and from 2.5:1 to 7.2:1 for MEWI. Higher ratios were usually associated with the low population density. Phenotypic correlations and the correlations of GCA effects were strongly positive for the time intervals, first‐to‐second ear shoot emergence, and first‐to‐second silk. Also, silking interval was negatively correlated with both ear number and MEWI. In a second experiment, six unrelated parents and 15 F 1 's were dissected daily and the dates of initiation of tassel and ear shoot meristems recorded. General combining ability effects were highly significant for the time periods tassel‐to‐first ear shoot initiation and first‐to‐second ear shoot initiation. Only the time period between initiation of the first and second ear shoot was correlated with ear number (−0.57**) and MEWI (−0.63**). In an experiment involving related inbred lines, their F 1 's, F 2 's, and backcrosses, additive gene effects were highly significant for ear number and MEWI, and dominance effects were significant (0.05 level) for MEWI. Negative correlations were observed between both ear number and MEWI and the time periods, ear shoot emergence‐to‐pollen‐shed, first‐to‐second ear shoot emergence, and first‐to‐second silk. For the F 1 and segregating generations of one pair of related lines, a greater frequency of second ears occurred on plants having fewer nodes above the first ear. In both experiments prolificacy factors segregated in a manner predictable from the penetrance and genetic segregation inferred from parents and F 1 's. The genetic analysis on two pairs of related lines indicated that a single locus or group of linked loci account for the majority of the variation in ear number an their segregating generations.
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Claims 16
Claim · model-written summary
General and specific combining ability effects were significant for maize ear number.
- Outcome
- ear numbere0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“General (GCA) and specific (SCA) combining ability effects were significant for both ear number and multiple‐ear‐weight index (MEWI)”
t0“Inheritance of Prolificacy in Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
General and specific combining ability effects were significant for maize multiple-ear-weight index.
- Outcome
- MEWIe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“General (GCA) and specific (SCA) combining ability effects were significant for both ear number and multiple‐ear‐weight index (MEWI)”
t0“Inheritance of Prolificacy in Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
The GCA to SCA fixed-effects variance ratio for ear number ranged from 3.7:1 to 7.4:1.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“ranged from 3.7:1 to 7.4:1 for ear number”
t0“Inheritance of Prolificacy in Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
The GCA to SCA fixed-effects variance ratio for MEWI ranged from 2.5:1 to 7.2:1.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“from 2.5:1 to 7.2:1 for MEWI”
t0“Inheritance of Prolificacy in Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Higher GCA to SCA variance ratios were usually associated with low population density.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“Higher ratios were usually associated with the low population density”
t0“Inheritance of Prolificacy in Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Phenotypic correlations and GCA-effect correlations were strongly positive for the time intervals.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“Phenotypic correlations and the correlations of GCA effects were strongly positive for the time intervals”
t0“Inheritance of Prolificacy in Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Silking interval was negatively correlated with both ear number and MEWI.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“silking interval was negatively correlated with both ear number and MEWI”
t0“Inheritance of Prolificacy in Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
GCA effects were highly significant for the time periods between developmental stages.
- Outcome
- time periodse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“General combining ability effects were highly significant for the time periods”
t0“Inheritance of Prolificacy in Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
The time period between initiation of the first and second ear shoot was negatively correlated with ear number (r = -0.57).
- Organ / stage
- initiation of the first and second ear shoote0
- Outcome
- ear numbere0
- Direction
- decreaseinferrede0
- Value
- −0.57e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“Only the time period between initiation of the first and second ear shoot was correlated with ear number (−0.57**) and MEWI (−0.63**)”
t0“Inheritance of Prolificacy in Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
The time period between initiation of the first and second ear shoot was negatively correlated with MEWI (r = -0.63).
- Organ / stage
- initiation of the first and second ear shoote0
- Outcome
- MEWIe0
- Direction
- decreaseinferrede0
- Value
- −0.63e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“Only the time period between initiation of the first and second ear shoot was correlated with ear number (−0.57**) and MEWI (−0.63**)”
t0“Inheritance of Prolificacy in Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Additive gene effects were highly significant for ear number and MEWI.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“additive gene effects were highly significant for ear number and MEWI”
t0“Inheritance of Prolificacy in Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Dominance effects were significant for MEWI.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“dominance effects were significant (0.05 level) for MEWI”
t0“Inheritance of Prolificacy in Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Ear number and MEWI were negatively correlated with the time periods between ear shoot and silk developmental stages.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“Negative correlations were observed between both ear number and MEWI and the time periods”
t0“Inheritance of Prolificacy in Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
A greater frequency of second ears occurred on plants with fewer nodes above the first ear in one pair of related lines.
- Material
- one pair of related linese0
- Outcome
- frequency of second earse0
- Direction
- greatere0
- Qualifier
- fewer nodes above the first eare0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“For the F 1 and segregating generations of one pair of related lines, a greater frequency of second ears occurred on plants having fewer nodes above the first ear”
t0“Inheritance of Prolificacy in Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Prolificacy factors segregated in both experiments in a predictable manner.
- Outcome
- prolificacy factorse0
- Qualifier
- in a manner predictable from the penetrance and genetic segregatione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“In both experiments prolificacy factors segregated in a manner predictable from the penetrance and genetic segregation”
t0“Inheritance of Prolificacy in Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
A single locus or group of linked loci accounts for most of the variation in ear number in two pairs of related lines.
- Material
- two pairs of related linese0
- Outcome
- variation in ear numbere0
- Qualifier
- a single locus or group of linked locie0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“The genetic analysis on two pairs of related lines indicated that a single locus or group of linked loci account for the majority of the variation in ear number”
t0“Inheritance of Prolificacy in Maize”